Taking a leap of faith

By Staff
Kim West
Growing up I usually went every summer to the Point Mallard Water Park in Decatur, which has an Olympic-sized pool with an intimidating set of broad platform diving boards.
The pool also has regular-sized diving boards – the low ones were about three feet above the water's surface, while other two were just under 10 feet high. The high diving board provided more than enough thrills for me because for some reason I was terrified of the platforms even though I'm not afraid of heights.
Across the pool I'd watch kid after kid stand in line to fling themselves off the top concrete platform. At 8 or 9 years old, that distance looks much scarier than its actual height of 6.5 meters, or about 21 feet.
I don't remember how old I was, but one day I just decided to jump from the top platform after chickening out in a few previous attempts. Other than the feeling of not being able to move while I fell, the jump wasn't really that bad.
Sometimes you just have to forget all the reasons why something might not work, and just give a try. That's the situation I find myself in as I leave the Franklin County Times this Thursday after two fulfilling years, a lot of fond memories and a lifelong appreciation for Jack's coffee, Frosty Inn nachos, Backstreet sandwiches and Pilgrim's brownies.
I'm not leaving because I don't need to work anymore – I am probably one of those people who will never retire – or because I feel that I've learned everything I can about reporting, which is a very humbling job.
Working here has been an education from my first day when I was sent out to find Vina and cover a baseball game to learning how to take decent pictures and write about government meetings.
I'm leaving because I think it's time to try something new and live somewhere I've never been before, even though it's a scary time to be without a job because of the current condition of the economy.
A few months from now I could be in Birmingham or Decatur, or I might end up in Alaska or Washington D.C. I have no idea where I'll be, and that's both terrifying and exciting.
As people sometimes innocently point out, I don't look like "I'm from around here," but I will always appreciate being treated as just another reporter.
I've never had any problems in all the times I visited the local schools for stories or ball games, and that's in stark contrast to the time I went to cover a basketball game at a neighboring county school where a few teens attempted to speak a mangled version of Chinese with me and ask for pointers on kung fu moves. (Sadly, I can only speak English and I don't have any martial arts training.)
Franklin County might not have an interstate, car plant or a shopping mall, but at least people here really seem to care about what happens in their schools and communities.
No matter where I'll end up, I'll be keeping tabs on the local sports teams and hoping for a Blue Map for the next county or Russellville team that gets to a championship game.
And I'm sure I'll be back for a King's double feature, a slice of watermelon and to find out whether or not my co-workers have figured out a way to prevent Karen's computer from talking.